In this excerpt from the preview of Episode 4 of the "Paani with People" podcast, host Neeraj Shetye and a co‑speaker discuss a range of personal and political topics. They begin with a 2013 UK government grant of three million pounds to establish scholarships in the name of Indira Gandhi, touching on the bureaucratic process and the speaker’s connection to the Indira Gandhi National Open University. The conversation then shifts to cultural and linguistic differences between Mumbai’s colloquial Hindi and the more formal Hindi spoken in North India, highlighting the speaker’s shock at regional language norms. Neeraj shares his desire to study in Delhi and compares Indian institutions like JNU with the UK’s SOAS, noting potential criticism from alumni. He recounts his intense experience managing the BJP’s 2014 election campaign, describing the violence and personal thrill he felt, and reflects on how that period reshaped his worldview. The dialogue also covers personal life – missing parents, the rhythm of weekly calls, and the transient nature of living away from family. Finally, Neeraj mentions a lengthy podcast he recorded with a Mumbai collective, the feedback he received, and his anticipation of audience reactions. The tone remains informal, conversational, and reflective throughout, interspersed with Hindi‑English code‑switching.
Chapters
We met already outside the Italian restaurant. I don't know what Serene told you, but like I can talk about literally everything. The government gave like a three million pound grant to the university saying we want to start scholarships in the name of Mrs. Indira Gandhi.
What year was this?
Twenty thirteen. So you'd know right before. Yeah.
My my father works in the Indira Gandhi National Open University. अच्छा ओके नाइस। I'm just waiting for it to change its name.
You said it's like randomly spread all over one building.
फिर किसी का घर है। One of the friends say कि when you come to university, you're placed right in the heart of the city. देखो ये ये सब तुम्हें मिल सकता है। उसके बाद जैसे ही खत्म होता है, accommodation से निकालते हैं बोलते हैं। Yeah, I think it's really thrown out and you have to go like some north or some south. You'll have anywhere to be. तो मैं सोचा मैं क्या करूँ? यहाँ पे London में भी अगर मैं rent पे लेके रहता हूँ तो उतने पैसे लगेंगे। So I went to Paris.
The whole psyche of people from Mumbai or like around Mumbai is that you don't leave the city. They live in a bubble like you know. They feel everything's here and people some people are coming here. So why do you want to? Hindi is very crude. Like it's Bombay Hindi which is very crass. And I didn't realize it until I went there and started speaking to all these people from North India, and they were just like, "तुम ऐसे मत बात करो." What the fuck is food?
Eat food. देख से तेरा खाके हो गया. And I was like, "What words are these? What does that mean?" The conflicts that I've had is कि the learnings that I've come with, I want to apply those for my country. So लगता है कि यार मैं यहाँ पे इनकी सरकार के लिए काम कर रहा हूँ. वो ही काम. At some point I do want to make that infrastructure.
All the best. That's all I say. I would have actually preferred studying in Delhi. It's just like I couldn't get through JNU.
So it's which is the JNU of the UK?
I mean yes. If you quote me on this now, like, if this ever goes online, I'll be bashed by SOAS graduates.
In 2014, I helped manage a campaign for the BJP, and it was such a crazy election.
Very intense experience. Everything that I had only read in books happened in front of me. You know, the violence, the tension, the, you know, you're exposed to like, but I enjoyed it. I don't know, my parents call me sadistic for this, but I did enjoy it. I enjoyed the risk, actual violence that takes place, the attacks, you know, arson, just things that if I say out loud in public, probably nobody would believe. I'm still sort of Uh, struggling to unlearn things that I've learned all my life and then relearn stuff. Reels? Oh no, it's such a soft boy core thing that I'm trying. You know how you try to be mysterious but you're not? That's the— that's my vibe at this point.
Would you choose, uh, Thackeray or Modi?
Oh my God, what is this line of question? I remember I got this one Instagram DM from a college friend and they said the 2019 Neeraj would come and slap me. I do miss my parents, like living with my parents, but they It's a very momentary thing. I don't know whether it happens to you, but it's—I think there's an expiration period of say two weeks, and two weeks later even they are like, "What are you doing?" We call once a week, but that once a week is a long call.
Which is what I like. कि हाँ अगर बात करनी है four hours. Wow, four hours. Really?
I recorded a podcast last last year with this other collective in Mumbai, and she listened to it. It was a very long podcast. She listened to all of it, and she made notes, and then she criticized me about. You know, I'm very sure like if you put it out online. Yeah, they put in the time. I look forward to her comment.
